Figure 1.
The gut-lung axis in PAH. The metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by intestinal bacteria enter the lungs through the circulation, where they are involved in immune regulation and play a role in perivascular inflammation and pulmonary vascular remodeling. 5-HT: serotonin; TMAO: trimethylamine N-oxide; LPS: lipo-polysaccharide; GPCRs: G protein-coupled receptor; HDAC: histone deacetylase; VCAM-1: vascular cell adhesion molecule-1; VEGFα: vascular endothelial growth factor α; HIF-1α: hypoxia-inducible factor-1α; Nox-1: NADPH oxidase-1; ROS: reactive oxygen species; SIRT3: sirtuin 3; SOD2: superoxide dismutases; NLRP3: nod-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3; PKC: protein kinase C; NF-κB: nuclear factor-kappa B; HMGB1: high-mobility group box-1; TLR4: toll-like receptor 4; BMPR2: bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2.